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Weights and Measures - 2 : Length and Time Units : 271
Measures of Length in Bhagavati and Other Jaina Canons
The Jaina canons like B., A, D, S., T. V., R. V., Ts., J. D. P. and others written between 100 B. C. and 12th century A. D. contain descriptions about length measures. Muniśri2 and Lishk et. al.' have discussed them as detailed in A. D. S. Accordingly, these have three varieties – (i) self measure, (ii) utsedha measure and (iii) pramāna measure. These are utilised in measuring lengths of different types and extensions shown in Table 1. Table 1 : Uses of different Length Measures. Name Units Equivalence
Uses 1. Utsedha Utsedha- 0.5 A A Measurement of heigangula, UA
hts of bodies and idols 2. Self or Atmāng- 2 UA Measurement of utility Ātma ula, AA
and small useful things 3. Pramāna Pramāna- 500/1000 Measurements of islanangula, PA UA ds, oceans, cities, solar
system etc.
All the above canons have these three types of measures. A critical and comparative study of these measures is presented here which is summarised in Table 2 resulting in the following facts :
(i) All scholars have accepted the seven measure units from Angula, A to Yojana, Y, as the practical units.
(ii) All agree upon Angula, A as the practical unit of length. The category of this unit determines the value of Y. The basic A has been taken as UA.
(iii) The standard unit of Atmāngula, AA is the fingertip of a standard healthy person with a height of 84 Ātmangulas 5. The human heights of 120, 108 or 96 AA depend upon different conditions and hence not taken as standard.
(iv) One Atmāngula, AA, is canonically equal to 2 UA. (v) The Angula unit is generally 1-dimensional which
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